Sydney’s Greater West will be hosting one helluva party this November, with THE PLOT returning to Parramatta Park to show off some of our best emerging and favourite names. The festival line up already boasted the likes of Dean Lewis, Northeast Party House, Confidence Man and Bec Sandridge but now, THE PLOT is welcoming some names who have been…
Tyler the Creator’s near decade long rap career has been sprinkled with controversy, if the term “sprinkled” really meant “completely survived by”. Tyler’s aggressive, controversial style and lyricism garnered a cult following for the Odd Future member. Tyler’s tracks involved rape, misogyny, abuse, homophobia and many other controversial topics, all of which incited riots and…
My third BIGSOUND brought with it some definite highlights, from corners I wasn’t expecting. There was a solid hip hop presence at this year’s festival, striking an instant contrast between the hard hitting MC’s and the usual fare of bands taking up on stages throughout the Valley. A main take away I came away from…
Melbourne group The Cactus Channel had their chance to showcase up at BIGSOUND this year, a great opportunity for the group to break in some new sounds and get a feel for the new direction they’ve embarked upon. Sitting down with Darvid, Lewis and Hudson, we get a little insight into how the group is approaching the release of their new album,…
Yeo continues to go from strength to strength – the release of new album Desire Path has won the Melbourne producer and writer much acclaim and now, he’s bossing up for a national tour set to bring the Yeo name to many new ears. Today, we’re loving his new film clip for “Leavin’”, one of our favourite…
It was Aussie BBQ time at Music Matters Live overnight, with Sounds Australia putting on yet another showcase for the international delegates – a menu of Australian artists ready to be sampled, if you will. Introduced by Associate Producer Esti Zilber, the Aussie BBQ was opened by Melbourne vocalist NUSSY who declared she was going to play ‘some…
Norwegian group Sløtface sit across and beside me on a warm Brisbane afternoon at Ric’s Bar, as BIGSOUND continues to be built around us. It’s the first official night of the annual music conference and festival and Sløtface are one of the most highly anticipated – and international – bands on the bill. Their debut album, Try Not to Freak Out,…
Tuesday night in Singapore brought with it more education and musical discovery as Music Matters Live and All That Matters continued to engage in high gear performance and conferencing sessions. Up at the Ritz-Carlton, we learned from T.Jay Fowler from YouTube (Director, Product Management) at the ‘Future of Music’ keynote session about how the relationship between music and technology…
Two years ago Welsh journalist and author Jon Ronson published a book titled So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, addressing the growing issue of (sometimes justified, sometimes not) social media outrage and what some people refer to as “trial by public opinion”. Since then the discussion has moved into specific spheres such as the music industry,…
Sydney based artist Wallace continues to charm with that voice dripping in old-school soul, with new single “Black Like” further establishing the NZ native as an artist to watch. This new tune, co-written with Eskimo Joe’s Joel Quartermain, is gorgeously melancholic, and demonstrates the more theatric edge of Wallace’s musicality. The end result is utterly irresistible and…
The outdoor stage at CHIJMES had to face rain – a lot of it – yesterday, as Music Matters Live entered its second day on Sunday. Surprisingly, and encouragingly, people still turned up during the evening to see the bands play and while the crowd would have been undoubtedly larger had the weather been better, the…
Last week, I descended on BIGSOUND in what was my 6th visit to the iconic Brisbane conference and festival. Just about every year the event has grown in size – from the amount of bands playing, to the amount of venues utilised and the number of attendees. This year felt unquestionably the biggest yet, amped…
The St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival line up for 2018 has dropped a day ahead of schedule thanks to a bluff by Pedestrian overnight but heck, why not – it’s a pretty tops line up. Turning the focus to artists on the come up, the Laneway Festival has curated a line up of international names that will…
Tigertown continue to craft and execute gorgeous pieces of music, the latest example coming in the form of their new single, “Warriors”. The music video that has recently been released to accompany has been directed by Imogen Grist and is frankly, a stunning watch. Toeing the line between fantasy and reality, the “Warriors” film clip embodies…
Carefully curated by our very own writers and editors, this week’s Spotify playlist has got some absolute gems. If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the cruisy S.M. Jenkins, electronic duo Nocturnal Tapes or all-girl rockers The Coathangers, now is your chance. Get listening! ———- This content has recently been ported from its original home on The…
The Belligerents’ debut album Science Fiction has landed. And you will want to get on board. The long-awaited full-length release from this Brisbane band, who have had the industry buzzing for some time, is out now through Sony. The record is full of all the grand splendour you’d hope for: driving guitars, spaced out keys,…
Music Matters Live saw out its first night for 2017 here in Singapore on Saturday, with the showcase series taking place between the newly established lawn stage at CHIJMES and the riverside bar venue of Barber Shop by Timbre. The lawn stage at CHIJMES drew out the numbers as the sun fell, with Singapore’s own Falling…
In a hotel room high atop the Bangkok skyline in Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, the AU review’s Lachlan Mitchell got Imagine Dragons to reveal their plans to bring their new album Evolve to Australia. The band begin a North American tour in support of their latest album in late-September and were appearing in a showcase…
Having spent a good part of the Australian autumn in the UK, the indomitable trio that is Sensible J, Remi and Sampa the Great were savvy enough to have their journey documented, eventually to be cut together for fans as Sensible J’s debut music video for “Fire Sign”. Following the trio around London and Brighton, as they took to stages…
Brisbane breeds great music. First Beige are no exception, the psych-soul outfit slowly making their transition from bedroom project to the real world. Today, we’ve got an exclusive taste of their lead single from upcoming debut EP Press!, “Rumours”. It’s a taste of some very colourful sounds to come. Ignore the whole ‘Beige’ thing. There’s jazz flute, disco-influence,…
“This world is full of cynics- full of people who don’t want you to be alive, to be real,” yells Dave Le’aupepe to a thumping heavy crowd full of youthful faces, each looking up at him adoringly, hanging on his every word. “Don’t let them stop you from living your life. Don’t let anybody ever…
Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley saw out one final day and night live music and conferencing on Thursday, with BIGSOUND entering its last round, sending hundreds of musicians and delegates throughout participating venues to witness some great emerging artists, buzz bands and established favourites. The SA Music showcase in the afternoon took place at Ric’s Backyard, bringing together…
Night Two of BIGSOUND brought some huge voices out to The Valley on Wednesday night. Split between heavy hitting vocals and fleshed out bands, we were spoiled for choice; when you have the likes of Total Giovanni and The Belligerents rolling alongside buzz artists like Body/Type and Willaris.K, you know that the Australian band scene is heaving. We made sure…
She’s one of Norway’s most respected artists and next month, Hanne Hukkelberg will be releasing her much anticipated fifth album Trust. Taken from the album, her new single “Embroidery” is a gorgeous indicator of what is to come, and features singer-songwriter Emilie Nicolas too – another talented Norwegian currently making some excellent pieces of music. “It’s about us…
It’s not just all showcases at BIGSOUND, some of the most important and crucial days of the year for Australia’s music industry. Issues facing the industry are discussed and picked apart through various panels, keynotes and informal mixers, and it’s the results of these talks each year that have a big impact on how the…
As the waves of BIGSOUND continue to crash in Australia, our Singaporean mates are beginning to gear up for a huge music festival of their own, in Music Matters Live. As part of the wider All That Matters conference event that takes place in Singapore from September 9th – 13th, Music Matters Live is the premier independent…
The Yours & Owls Festival is returning to Wollongong this month with one of its strongest line ups yet – featured on it is Phoenix’s own AJJ. The band formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad have been hyping up their wider Australian tour dates for a few months now, their return to our shores marking their first dates in…
Talk about tour news to wake up to! One of your favourite Canadians will be back in the country this year, making the tailend of 2017 OVO and XO season in Australia! Ahead of The Weeknd‘s December shows, Drake will be touring select east coast shows in Australia at the end of November. Having been making his way…
Heading to their hometown of Yamba in NSW, indie electronic twosome Nocturnal Tapes laid down the foundations for their new music video for the catchy “Wake Up”. Directed by James Buckingham, the clip leans into the 90’s vibe of the music’s production; as Buckingham describes, the nostalgic element was definitely intentional. “Nocturnal Tapes have a lot…
We chat with Aussie musician Jess Green, who has been working away on her anticipated EP release, Dragon Year. The seasoned musician has been part of the Australian scene for years now and as we learn, her career has brought her a wealth of musical experience, from jazz right through to composing for dance works. This,…
